This system is so common nowadays, you can find this on your cameras, smart phones, and any other high-tech devices, the Global Positioning System or the GPS is known to be a very helpful feature that serves as a map, direction guide, and helped on solving some criminal cases. The Global Positioning System was developed and founded in 1970s and as of the record for 2012, the system are now consist of almost 32 satellites and 6 there in are the visible ones anytime and in any point of the planet.
This allows GPS receiver in receiving all the transmitted data from the satellites using the format of NMEA-0183 for military level of data interpretation to the recent which is for the consumer devices level. The job f the GPS receiver is converting the signal that has been received into a geographic coordinates which are the Altitude, longitude and the Latitude transmitting them into the user’s device, this system has multiple usage, one of this is to navigate air traffic and the streets, locator of lost device and objects, even used as an image locator. GPS receiver are commonly installed to whatever purpose a traveler may use it like in your smartphones, cameras and you Standalone GPS navigation device, also found in high end tablets and laptops.
The consumer devise GPS is just limited compared to the GPS of the military usage just like having single update per second and for the aviation device gathers almost 30 updates at a time. Accuracy is not that reliable and can never be so accurate than 1m in exact location. Same time, not all satellites are working for a consumer device standard of GPS, requiring it to have a clear skies for a better accessibility. These limitations are done in purpose for the system not be abused and be used maliciously.
There is what we call the assistant GPS or the A-GPS that is being used with smartphones to gather some data from the satellites through mobile data, network, or the internet. Lots of software uses GPS for navigation purposes such as the map software giving you the free navigation for the streets, helping you towards direction problems for you not to get lost in a city that is quite complicated to navigate. The unique off road software uses GPS for recording and for the playback of the paths. EXIF software is the one that saves the GPS data for the taken images and videos allowing you to post the location with the photos and videos itself. GPS system may also be turned on and off.
As you have noticed with all of the information mentioned above, GPS can be very useful yet harmful to its users. Take these precautions, never rely on the GPS most of the time when you are driving for some cases of accidents happened due to the driver is focused on the GPS and not with the road. There was also this incident where a man was lost in a jungle for a wrong direction he followed provided by the GPS and worst, he got killed in there, also, never use this system when you are in countries that prohibits it like the Egypt and North Korea, be knowledgeable enough to know what other specific country allows and prohibits the system.